


It was always there, just never spoken.

by orphan_account



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Also non-au, Childhood Friends, How Do I Tag, M/M, Non Idol AU, Squint hard enough and you'll see that this is a failed attempt at humour, i suck im sorry, its a mix of two tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-07-25 16:01:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7538989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes intense trainings and sleepless nights, beach trips and occastional pillow talks, taking walks at ungodly hours and silly dance-offs for Jeonghan and Seungcheol to realize one thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! so its my first fic here on ao3 and i hope you like it! Just incase you guys dont get confused, this fic is a mix of non au and au (only in the beginning tho)  
> How often i'll be updating will depend on the reactions(?) so please show lots of love, and thank you <3  
> (i'm sorry if the first chap is a bit lame. also, please tell me if i get anything about their pre-debut history wrong, please!)

Seungcheol recalls that time with utmost perfection, that time he first met Jeonghan.

It was one sickingly hot summer when a 9-year old Jeonghan was standing infront of his doorstep alongside his mother, rice cakes in hand. Jeonghan and his family had just recently moved in a nearby house. Upon hearing this news the Choi family invited them over for a welcome dinner along with a few other families that night. The said boy appeared to be around his age, he seemed shy and timid; hands fidgeting against his thighs. He was good-looking even, for someone so young.

"A new friend!" Seungcheol squealed in - a little more than necessary - excitement, catching Jeonghan by surprise. For someone to be this enthusiastic about befriending him was quite foreign. Jeonghan was the quiet type of kid - the shy one who didn't talk much, and kids always went for the funny and playful ones. But that's okay, Jeonghan always convinced himself that he didn't need much friends, not as long as he had his very small circle of friends and Stormie, his favorite cat plush that he treasures deeply. However, now that he has moved into a new neighbourhood and meeting up with his old friends often seemed quite impossible, his mother ushered him multiple times to befriend their neighbour's son; who seemed to be the same age as him. Which is how he ended up tagging along with mother.

His enthusiasm will fade in no time, Jeonghan thinks.

Surely.

 

★★★★★★

 

"Hannie~ wanna play with us??" Seungcheol has a wide grin on his face, holding Jeonghan's arms "We're playing house!" He points to the small group of kids

Jeonghan considers it for a moment, then he nods and follows him to the huge playhouse

"Cheollie!" One of the girls yelled "i asked you to bring someone who would play the role of the mom"

The boy blinks and stares at Jeonghan before smiling widely "But i think Jeonghan would make the perfect mom!" Seungcheol said, holding Jeonghan's hands tighter "And plus, im the one who's playing the role of the dad so i get to decide who gets to be my wife." He pointed to his chest with his thumb "Don't you think so, Jeonghan?"

"I-uh" he bites his lips, a bad habit of his "I don't mind being the mom...."

Jeonghan didnt really mind being the 'mom', that is until he had smeared lipgloss all over his lips and had to wear a wig and a tutu.

But that's okay, atleast he gets to be with Seungcheol.

Maybe he could be the family dog next time. 

★★★★★★

Years pass and Jeonghan was right.

Seungcheol and Jeonghan haven't quite formed a friendship one would expect from two boys who lived just a few steps away from each other and used to play with each other alot as kids. Their mothers were very close with each other; so it was only natural for them to force them to hang out with each other sometimes. But times have changed, they've grown up and Jeonghan always brought up the excuse of being 'too busy' with schoolwork to keep his distance (Although he wont admit that he kind of missed seeing his excited face, or the way he perks up and his eyes light up everytime he sees a dog, nope).

But it wasnt that Seungcheol was a douche and that he didnt want to befriend him. Infact, Seungcheol was a great guy; he was kind, talented and got along with anybody and everybody, and Jeonghan may have been envious of his ability to be able to befriend people easily. Its just that Jeonghan was just a bit afraid that people are going to think that Seungcheol is lame for hanging out him.

I mean, who the hell would want to hear about how he solves workbooks and plays sudoku during his freetime?

So a passing 'hello' is all the acknowledgement they provide to each other. No sleepovers, no walking home together, no sharing lunch, none of that. Jeonghan kind of perfers it that way, avoiding Seungcheol's attempts on befriending him; the only time they ever meet each other outside school is when their families both decide to have dinner together. 

★★★★★★

His heart is beating at a fast pace. His dream of becoming a singer is finally becoming a reality.

Well, partly.

Jeonghan waits outside the dance practice room. He got accepted into Pledis as a trainee and the CEO decided to personally introduce him to the other trainees. Pledis wasnt really the best company to go to; chances of debuting and becoming a well-known group were pretty low. But he thought he'd give it a try. He constantly rubs his sweaty palms on his jeans, shit he's so nervous. He shakes his leg up and down as he tries to make out what they were saying in there, although it didnt really seem possible because of the thick and soundproof walls.

But what if they don't like me? What if they cut me out early cause i'm 'not talented enough'?

His train of thoughts is interrupted when he's called to enter the room. He's greeted by a group of boys as he enters the practice room. The practice room looked a bit small and narrow, or maybe it looked that way because it was pretty packed. He scans the members' faces as the CEO does most of the talking, most of them seem to be younger than him (thankfully) He freezes when his eyes lay on a familliar looking person. Infact, both of them are staring at each other, equally in shock.

Is that Seungcheol???, Jeonghan thinks. No no, there's no way it can be him, he shakes his head. He never mentioned anything about being a trainee. But come to think of it... He hasnt been seeing much of him for some time now...

"Jeonghan" the CEO gives Jeonghan a light pat on the shoulder, bringing him back to reality "You're one of the eldests here and i think that made it easier for Seungcheol and Jisoo to take care of the boisterous bunch" he gives a small smile "Am i right, boys?"

Yep, he definitely heard the name 'Seungcheol'.

The two boys whose names were mentioned nod their heads, 'Seungcheol' still refusing to take his eyes off him. And with that, the CEO left the room and Jeonghan was bombarded with endless questions he couldnt keep up with by curious, hyper-active 'kids'.

"Yah!!"

The voices in the room quiet down almost instantly "Let the boy have some breathing space" Seungcheol scolds, the only one who isnt suffocating him with questions "Take turns asking him, let's start with Soonyoung" The members nod and all sit down, asking him one by one.

When its Seungcheol's turn he flashes him a smile "I'm Choi Seungcheol, nice to meet you" he extends his hand for a handshake. Jeonghan takes it and gives it a light shake. "I know"

Seungcheol smirks.

Talk about fucking coincidence.

★★★★★★

Maybe Jeonghan thought a little bit too much.

Infact, he was worried over nothing. He fits in just right; just like a piece of puzzle. It only took him a few days to make him realize that and now he doesnt even remember why he was worried. They were spread out in their sorry excuse of a practice room, taking a short break from their practice.

Jeonghan sits against the wall, panting. He rubs the beads of sweat that are trickling down his flushed cheeks with the back of hand. It's gross; he knows it, but this is what he gets for forgetting to bring a towel.

"Water?" He looks up only to find Jisoo offering him a water bottle. Jisoo was the first one who approached him and they've become close in a very short period of time. Through their conversations, he has learned that he had actually lived in America all his life and came to Korea only recently and how he didnt have much trouble speaking the language since he spoke it alot at home. "Thanks" he takes it and gives him a small smile before chugging it down, Jisoo mirroring his smile. He sits down beside him "Are you still having a hard time adjusting? I know its hard and all but you'll get used to it in no time, trust me" Jisoo said, smiling with that cat-like smile of his.

Oh of course i do, Jeonghan thinks as he smiles back lazily in awe. With that sweet like honey voice of his, its hard not to trust him. Its also kinda soothing in a way.

"Break time is over! Back to practice" a voice echoes throughout the room, gaining everyone's attention. And with that, Jeonghan and Jisoo nod before heading back to practice. Jeonghan didn't really know why but he snuck a glance at Seungcheol, and when he did, he caught Seungcheol staring at him. Being caught red-handed, he quickly turned away. Jeonghan could've sworn he'd seen his cheeks turn red. Maybe its cause of all this practice, he thinks. It still makes him smile.

★★★★★★

After ordering take out since everyone was too tired to cook (In other words, Mingyu was too tired to cook) Everyone was getting ready to go to bed and Jeonghan and Seungcheol stayed up to clean up the mess.

"Are you sure you guys dont need any help?" Wonwoo asks, a hint of guilt in voice.

"Yes, we're sure" Seungcheol assures him, giving him his signature gummy smile.

"If you say so, hyung..." Wonwoo gives him a tight smile and go joins the others into doing their nightly beauty routines. Most of them have already collapsed on their beds, slowly drifting away to dreamland, which made Seungcheol and Jeonghan more careful about the noises they made while cleaning so they wont wake anyone up.

 

 

"Y'know" Jeonghan huffs, dragging the heavy trashbag "At times like these, having a 13-membered group really seems like a bad idea" he says after dumping the last trash bag. Seungcheol chuckles and puts an arm around his shoulder "The kids worked really hard today so its only right if we cut them some slack and help with the chores" he says, leading him back to the dorm. Jeonghan hums, he closes his eyes and feels the cool night breeze on his skin. It invigorated him in a way, it made him forget all the fatigue from the intense training he had to go through to catch up. An idea suddenly pops in brain.

"Wanna get some ramyeon?"

"Ramyeon?" Seungcheol asks with furrowed eyebrows "But we just ate"

"Not me" Jeonghan turns and heads to the direction of the mart "Mingyu still seemed hungry so i gave him my food" Seungcheol rolls his eyes "Typical Mingyu" Jeonghan chuckles and drags Seungcheol when he spots the convenience store.

 

"Eating that at such an ungoldly hour" Seungcheol is leaning on his arm, pointing at the ramyeon that Jeonghan is literally inhaling "You're totally gonna regret that the next morning"

"I'll worry about tomorrow morning when its tomorrow morning"

They're both sitting on the plastic chairs right outside the convinience store that was open 24/7. Truth to be told, Jeonghan never expected (not even in a million years) to be here, eating ramyeon at the crack of dawn with Seungcheol, the person he may have been avoiding for the past few years. He never expected him to become a trainee, heck, he never even expected for both of them to be trainees in the same company. Come to think of it, he had been meaning to ask him that.

"How are you a trainee?" Jeonghan asks, his mouth full of food so it kinda came out unclear

Seungcheol shifts his attetion from the blinking streetlight to Jeonghan's question "What?" He asks in confusion

"I said" Jeonghan swallows his food "I never knew you wanted to be an idol"

"Oh"

"Oh?"

"I never knew you wanted to be an idol either"

"Me neither"

Seungcheol cocks his head, Jeonghan laughs. "I never really thought of becoming an idol, until recently" Jeonghan shrugs "What about you?"

The slight tension that appeared on his face was almost unnoticeable, he looks away "I was supposed to debut in a group called tempest along with jihoon and a few others" he looks down "but our debut got delayed over and over again, until we ended up here"

"Jihoon? Whoa" When Jeonghan first met the group, he was shocked to learn that Jihoon wasn't one of the youngest and that they were only a year apart. He just had that squishy lil face that would make anyone mistake him as the youngest, and that cute laugh of his that could probably brighten the day and maybe even grow flowers.

That, or punch you straight in the face and light this place on fire.

He still remembers that time he witnessed him holding a guitar mid-air, seconds away from smashing it on Mingyu; or that time he /accidently/ kicked the football with full power straight into Wonwoo's crotch, which left him in agonizing pain. (He laughed for minutes straight) But he was more shocked at his amazing talent. He produced well, danced well and even sung amazingly. Seeing how hard he works only makes Jeonghan work harder.

"I was pretty down for a while; i was discouraged" he continues "I thought i wasnt ever going to debut" he realese a shaky sigh.

Jeonghan feels a pang in his chest.

Seeing Seungcheol look so vulnerable like this hurt him in ways he didnt know it could. "Hey hey" he moves forward and holds his hand "You're going to debut for sure, i mean, what would Seventeen ever do without you?" Seungcheol looks up, eyes soft. "You're amazing, Seungcheol, and you're doing an amazing job at taking care of us. So dont you ever think that, alright?" Jeonghan smiles and ruffles his hair to lessen the tension a bit. Seungcheol smiles back, showcasing his dimple. "Thank you"

Jeonghan hums as he gets up from his seat.

"No, seriously-" he stands up to face him "Thank you, i mean it" Jeonghan is met with a pair of eyes that were being nothing but sincere.

He admires it, he admires how sincere he always is, he admires his leadership. He admires him so much, so much he may be scared of coming close.

Heat was creeping up his face from looking directly into his eyes, he looks away in hopes that it was too dark to notice the slight blush on his face "You're welcome, i guess" Seungcheol smiled - he was smiling already so it meant he smiled more. He puts his arms on his shoulder once again as they walk back to the dorm

"You owe me"

"Excuse me?"

"You owe me breakfast for staying up this late just to watch you eat ramyeon" Jeonghan rolls his eyes, although he was smiling "What do you want? Pancakes??" He perks up "Not just any pancakes, i want your own pancakes. Oh, and i want them right beside me when i wake up" he wiggles his eyebrows.

"Yah, Choi Seungcheol, dont get cocky"

"Fine, fine" he says "just add some extra syrup, please??? Pleeeaaaassseeeee???" He's clinging onto his arm with pouty lips Jeonghan stares in a disbelief. Disbelief because- what the fuck??? Is he sure he's the eldest because he looks so cute this way it was like he was a puppy. He sighs in defeat "Fine" Seungcheol breaks out into a mini celebratory dance and Jeonghan cant help but smile

"We better head back to the dorm before they notice our absence" Seungcheol nods and links their hands together "The breeze sure is relaxing, i wish i could stay longer" he closes his eyes.

They walked back to the dorm this way and to their relief, everyone seemed too knocked out to notice their absence.

Once again, Yoon Jeonghan is proven to be wrong.

Maybe Seungcheol's enthusiasm never faded, maybe he doesnt want it to.

And maybe, he doesn't want to ever leave his side.

Jeonghan wasn't quite sure yet. He'll wreck his brain with this later because right now, he's tired as all living hell and he wants nothing but a few hours of peaceful sleep.


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lets just pretend that Jeonghan makes godly pancakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry i haven't been updating for weeks! The last part is really messy because it's a lil rushed lol

The smell of pancakes spread throughout the dorm, luring a bunch of hungry boys.

Apparently, it never dawned on Jeonghan that he'd make pancakes for 12 perpetually hungry boys and that it would taste unbelievably good - he still remembers the look on Seungcheol's face when he first took a bite, it was of pure contentment and joy.

It happened somewhere around last winter. When the fridge was literally empty and the boys were too cold to go grocery shopping; and for the sake of not starving to death Jeonghan had to flip the whole kitchen upside down to find anything edible. And alas, he found a pancake mix carton slightly covered in dust on top of the fridge that was too high for anyone to reach without a stool (he thinks Mingyu put it there - no, he's _positive_ Mingyu did it) It was a few days past its a expiry date but he was starving and, well, desperate measures lead to strange outcomes.

But now that he thinks of it, maybe they should've ordered take out.

All of them were seated on the table, still half-asleep to notice that Jeonghan was actually cooking breakfast. "Thanks," Seungcheol says as he pours syrup all over the pancakes Jeonghan set on his plate

"Now this isn't something that happens everyday" Mingyu teases as he digs in "What's up with the sudden thoughtfulness?"

Jeonghan shoots him a glare "Sudden thoughtfulness? I've always been thoughtful as far as i know" he flips his growing fringe that were beginning to poke his eyes "In fact, All you do is steal my food and give me sass" he points the spatula he had in hand at him accusingly "And i'm having none of it today"

Feigning innocence he points to himself, eyes wide open "Me?"

"No - Your evil clone that goes around pestering innocent people like me"

"Now, now. It's all too early for this, boys" Seungcheol lowers the spatula that was pointing at Mingyu "Jeonghan got up earlier than the rest of us just to make this for us so its only right if we be thankful"

"Thank you, hyung" all of them say In unison, Mingyu sticking out a tongue teasingly before smiling.

Jeonghan makes a face at him and sits back on his chair. He leans towards Seungcheol when no one is looking "I dont owe you anything now, huh?" he whispers, covering up almost all of Seungcheol's personal space He felt his breath lingering on his ear and their shoulders were touching, it sent shivers down Seungcheol's spine.

Seungcheol turns and faces him. _Damn, he looks even better upclose_ , he thinks, and it's taking a considerable amount of will power to not cup his face and smash their lips together.

But he wouldn't want to do that now, Jeonghan wasnt ready for that, not yet, and he definitely wasnt going to do that infront of the members.

 

Gosh darnit, it really was too early for thoughts like this. 

 

".....no" he manages to say and looks at his pancakes, pretending that he didnt just think of making out with his bestfriend

 

"Good" Jeonghan says "I hate owing people" he goes back to eating his breakfast, humming approvingly at the food he made

 

Seungcheol looks up and steals a glance at the members' faces, seeing if anyone had noticed Jeonghan's brazen action. Luckily, everyone seemed too busy trying to keep their eyes open and not fall face-first into their pancakes and doze off

 

What a way to start the day

 

                     ★★★★★★

 

He was focused - eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed

 

"Give it a rest" 

 

"Wait, i'm almost done" he said crisply

 

"You can do this tomorrow" Jihoon snatches the pen from Seungcheol's hand "You've already written enough, Lets go back and join the others in the dorm" 

 

Seungcheol, Wonwoo and Hansol were working together and writing lyrics. Because of the recent progress project, the members who were in charge of rap worked together. Despite being the eldest he still felt that he was lacking and had to work harder, which is why he stayed back along with Jihoon, who was also working on his own lyrics.

 

"No-Jihoon please" He turns his chair to face the younger "I want to do this while i have the inspiration, and besides, i'm more than halfway throug-"

 

"I know that you're doing this so i wont suffer alone" Jihoon cut him in "so i wont bear all the pressure of producing songs and writing lyrics alone. But i'm fine, really"

 

_Jihoon-ah, you're lying again_

 

Seungcheol knew him too well to believe his lie. He knows how well Jihoon tends to conceal his emotions and all the pressure that was on his shoulders, which is why he doesn't give in

 

"Jihoon-nah, We're a team, and being a team means working  _together"_ he says "I'm doing this for the sake of contributing to the group, everyone's working really hard and i dont see why i shouldnt, i am the eldest after all"

 

There's a heavy silence between them before Jihoon is convinced 

 

"Fine" Jihoon tosses the pen back to him and heads to the door "You better back before sunrise"

 

"I will" he smiles "Thank you!!" He yells out as the door closes, receiving a 'yeah, whatever' mutter as a response 

 

He was now left alone in comfortable silence 

 

Jihoon wasn't completely wrong, he was partly doing this so he wont stress out. He often felt burdened being Seventeen's composer because if they ever fail, he thinks it'll be his fault.

 

And so, Seungcheol started to stick around him more, writing lyrics together along with a few other members, constantly reminding him to not go hard on himself.

 

He stares at the notebook in front of him, constantly tapping his pen on the table, as if that's going to help get the words out of his head and onto the notebook

 

If Jihoon was here, he'd snap his neck.

 

Seungcheol snorts at the thought, his bestfriend was kinda cute when he's mad. And scary.

 

He had already written half a page when the sounds of two cats fighting outside successfully break his concentration. Seungcheol fists his hair and silently curses those damn cats for fighting at this hour. Cats are cute and all- that is, until they ruin shit.

 

_Perfect._

 

Nothing has been going his way lately. He'd been scolded multiple times this week, he got a bruise from when he slipped in the bathroom and bumped his forehead on the toilet seat. Everything has been wearing him out lately

 

Everything except, maybe, Jeonghan.

 

He always seemed to make things just a little better, a little more bearable.

 

Seungcheol has come to learn that with Jeonghan, he could forget all the nagging responsibilities that were looming in the near future, he was kind of like his personal escape. 

 

Somehow, the awkwardness that was between faded away and they mostly, if not all the time, were by each other's side. If one of them was somewhere, the other wouldnt be so far away, and that made the members jokingly complain about how they're literally stuck to each other like glue. Although none of them know that they've known each other since they were nine, yet.

 

Ah, there he goes again. Seungcheol groans, hes thinking about Jeonghan, again.

 

Jeonghan this, Jeonghan that, that was the twentieth time Jeonghan had been in his thoughts this month- not that he was counting, really.

 

_Choi Seungcheol, seriously, stop thinking about him. You totally wouldnt want to have a crush on him again._

And yes, crush. Seungcheol had a 'teeny weeny crush' as he likes to call it on Jeonghan back then. He was pretty sad when he felt that Jeonghan that was avoiding him because he thinks its because of that time he called him his 'wife' when they were younger. And he was even sadder when he learnt that he was dating Seo Minhee, their class president, whom Seungcheol was the only one who knew was lowkey satan. 

 

Hey, you cant blame him, she kept throwing chewed paperballs at the back of his head and no one would believe him. And those who witnessed were too scared to speak up. 

 

Seungcheol spent the past few years in school glaring daggers at her when Jeonghan wasn't looking or praying that some kind of miracle would happen and she'd move away to some faraway country on the other side of the world.

 

He groans and pulls out his phone to listen to some music in hopes that it'll get him off his head. 

Time passes and his eyelids start to grow heavy. He's about to head to the bathroom and wash his face when his phone vibrates in his pocket

 

 

                     ★★★★★★

 

 

Jeonghan swings the black plastic bag back and forth as he makes his way to the building. He pulls out his phone and checks if there hasnt been a reply yet.

 

There isnt.

 

He clicks his tongue in exasperation and shoves his phone back in his pocket. For the past thirty minutes Seungcheol hasnt replied to the message he sent 

 

"Just why arent you replying, you babo" he says to no one in particular

 

He tried sleeping a few hours ago but when Jihoon came back to dorm without Seungcheol, he couldnt help but think about how he seemed so tired because of the all-nighters he's been pulling lately and it's starting to bug him

 

So he pulls out his phone and types in a message saying that he's going to come and join him. He presses send and heads to the closet, putting on a black t-shirt

 

Minutes later, 

 

_"Don't come empty-handed ;)))"_

Jeonghan rolls his eyes but stops by the tteokbokki stand that was surprisingly open at this hour and buys him that anyway.

 

But now he hasn't replied back and he's starting to wonder if he fell asleep. Oh my god, he better not have slept already, carrying him all the way back to the dorm is going to be a pain in the back, literally.

 

The doors to building swing open as he makes his way to Jihoon's studio. To his luck, Seungcheol wasn't sleeping and was completely focused in his work Jeonghan almost feels bad for disturbing him.

 

"Yah! Why haven't you replied to my texts?" Jeonghan sits next to him and pouts "I thought you fell asleep"

 

"Sorry, its just that i was really focused on this and i didnt hear my phone" Seungcheol spots the black plastic bag "Did you actually- Oh my god i wasnt really serious" he laughs

 

Jeonghan stares at his bestfriend in disbelief while dropping the plastic bag on the table "How the hell am i supposed to know you were kidding unless you told me!" 

 

"I thought you could tell from all the winking" He laughs even more. Maybe Seungcheol should've mentioned that he couldn't eat spicy food before. There's no way he's telling him that now, not when Jeonghan got him this at such an ungodly hour.

 

"Thanks anyway" Seungcheol gives him a tired smile as he pulls out the tteokbokki from the plastic bag

 

"Don't mention it" 

 

There's silence between them for the next couple of minutes. Although it wasnt the type of silence that was awkward or heavy, it was relaxing. They've been doing this frequently for sometime now. Sneaking out together at late hours after everyone's asleep just to get some fresh air or to clear their minds, even if it meant getting less hours of sleep. 

 

Jeonghan watches as Seungcheol eats and gets sauce on the tip of his nose without knowing, he snorts.

 

Seungcheol tilts his head "Why are you grinning like that? Its creepy" 

 

"This." Jeonghan pauses and takes his phone out "Is why" he shows Seungcheol his face through the front cam 

 

"Oh my god, that's not even funny" Seungcheol's smile says otherwise "Give a napkin"

 

"Here" Jeonghan grabs the nearby tissue and scoots closer until they're face-to-face "Lemme do it for you"

 

Seungcheol could feel his breath on his face. It smells like tteokbokki but who cares, he's internally freaking out because they're so close and they could literally kiss if they get a step closer. He considered doing that and calling that a 'mistake' but heck, that's too risky.

 

"There" Jeonghan pulls back and they arent so close anymore ( _sadly_ , Seungcheol thinks) "I think Jihoon will kill us if the smell doesnt go by the next day"

 

"Y-yeah" He picks up another napkin and pats his forehead "It's- uh it's pretty hot in here eh?"

 

"The AC is on" Jeonghan says "Wait, are you sweating?" He squints

 

"The food's spicy"

 

"The lady said it wasnt even spicy, there's even  _cheese"_  


  
_"God"_ Seungcheol throws the used napkin at his face "For pete's sake, will you stop being an ass"

 

That's how it all ended up being a playful bickering between the two. 

That is, until Jihoon barged into the studio because the boys havent come back yet and end up getting an earful about how his studio smells like teokkbokki

 

Again, What a day this is.


	3. chapter 3

"You're hair.." Jisoo combs Jeonghan's ever so smooth, lusicious hair "It grew really fast and it's so.." He trails off for a moment "...Soft" Jisoo manages to mutter in the end. 

"Yeah hyung!" Chan excitedly chimes in "You look so pretty too! Like" he pauses "Like a girl!" 

Jeonghan flinches at the mention of the last word. _Girl?_ When the company had asked him to grow his hair he didn't really mind it. It did enhance his visuals after all. However, being called a female multiple times did agitate him. And he never hesitated to hit any member who called him that despite it being a joke.

But Chan's eyes are so filled with adoration that he can't even bear to lay a finger on him or say anything mean to him. Jeonghan swept his brown hair out of his eyes and sighed, leaning against the cool practice room mirror "Yeah, i guess" he gives Chan a lopsided grin. Truth to be told, he's really tired and he doesn't feel like uttering a word, just to conserve the last remaining energy he has for the day.

Practice ended early today and the company decided to give them a few days break, which was honestly a miracle. But the members didnt feel like walking all the way back to the dorm yet. So some of them were practicing some more and some were playing around. Jeonghan, however, couldn't wait to fall face-first into his mattress. Although, his sore legs aren't helping. His gaze travels around the room in search for anything interesting that'll keep him entertained for the meanwhile. Soonyoung and Seokmin were practicing their grandparents impersonations on the other side of the room with an amused Wonwoo clapping in the background, he then spots Seungkwan and Seungcheol in a comical arguement. If other people saw this they'd think its some heated debate but honestly, they were probably arguing about something like whether jabbing secret codes on the buttons of an elevator would actually work and would send them to world parallel to ours and discover other beings.

Discover crazy shit on the internet and argue whether its worth trying and getting your ass kicked for, to keep it simple. 

He notices the puffy bags hanging under Seungcheol's eyes. Jeonghan turns his head and immediately checks himself out for any horrible eyebags that he'll need to put in effort to get rid of. The trio managed to sneak in a few hours of sleep last night - correction, it was past midnight so it was considered 'today'. Apparently, a few hours of sleep wasn't enough for Jeonghan, he was part sloth after all. Well, he likes to think that they have alot in common. Slow? Jeonghan does take time getting ready. Lazy? That's Jeonghan for you. Cute? Heck yes, he is. 

His sleep-deprived eyes shift from his reflection to another sleep-deprived person: Jihoon, who decided to lay down next to them. "That is the last time im letting you or Seungcheol use my studio without my presence" 

Jeonghan scrunches his nose "Don't worry. You won't see me going there in the dead of the night just to bring teokbokki for" - he jerks his head toward Seungcheol, who is now sauntering towards them - "that goofball of a leader" Psh, Seungcheol should be grateful that he sacrified something as precious as sleep for him, Jeonghan thinks. 

"Teokbokki?" Chan and Jisoo, who were right next to Jeonghan, share a confused look. 

"Waaassssuupppp" Seungcheol says in english "Missed something?" He sits on Jeonghan's crossed legs, crushing him 'gracefully' and it earns them suspicious looks from some of the members. "Uhm, i never asked?" Jeonghan slaps his back "You're heavy, get off me"

"I'm all muscles" Seungcheol winks, Jihoon scoffs.

Jeonghan rolls his eyes "Seungcheol" 

"Gee, Fine." Before any of them can even start a conversation music starts blasting through the spreaks and there are voices yelling out "DANCE BATTLE!!" 

All of them - except Jeonghan and Jisoo - gather up in the middle of the room. They start spliting into teams - the maknaes and the hyungs - with Seungkwan and Seungcheol as leaders. "Alright, here are the rules" Chan speaks "Number one: there is no such thing as 'hyung'- all of us are equal" this earns a cheer from the maknae line and a groan from the other team. "Number two: The moment you stop dancing, you're out. Number three: whoever wins gets to decide where to go for our break" "Deal?" Seungkwan asks, mainly directed to Seungcheol. "Deal" Seungcheol answers. There's no way he was going to let himself lose to the sassy lil diva infront him - not this time. They've had tons of battles like these and both of them were almost always one of the last ones standing - especially if it was a girl group song playing. 

"Let's begin!" Jeonghan chortles and leans on Jisoo's shoulder as they lean on the wall. Both of them weren't the best dancers so they decided to just sit and watch. Some random song everyone recognizes is playing and everyone starts dancing. Jeonghan's eyelids start to feel heavy and he's yawning. Jeonghan doesnt even realize he fell asleep until his eyes flutter open to the loud guffaws and cheering. 

A girl group song plays on and Seungcheol and Seungkwan have a showdown as the last ones standing as Chan was eliminated and after a couple songs and the boys making a fool of themselves, Seungcheol was declared winner.

Seungcheol does some victory yodeling and the whole hyung team join him into poking fun at the younger ones. "

"Alright boys! Pack your bags because we're heading to the beach!" Seungcheol declares and everyone starts cheering excitedly. 

  


★★★★★★

  


"We all know it was _me_ who was supposed to be crowned as the girl group dance king" Seungkwan was still bitter about how he lost to Seungcheol in their recent dance off. Not that he holds grudges, but he does. "But oh well," He sighs miserably, "As long as i do know im the best because-"

Jeonghan was too busy changing out of his clothes to hear the other half of the conversation. Seungkwan was probably too busy convincing Hansol - who was busy fiddling with his phone. The changing rooms were packed and it was pretty inconvenient to change in public bathroom stalls, the floor was wet - and ew, who knows where the water would've come from. Jeonghan questions himself for ever wearing tight-ass jeans to the beach when he was going to change out of it anyway as he struggles shedding out of them without having it touch the wet floor.

He gives an exasperated sigh as he tucks in his clothes in his bag and opens the door only to find Seungkwan and Hansol already changed out of their clothes and were posing for a selca. Both of them turn around and Hansol shoves his phone in his pocket.

"Geez hyung! I thought you were gonna take forever" Seungkwan complains as they make their way out, earning him a flick on the forehead from Jeonghan.

Jeonghan covers his eyes from the blazing sun as they step out. The sea breeze skimmed across his bare chest and he took his sandals off to feel the warm sand under his feet. Today seemed unusually bright, or maybe it was because they haven't seen sunlight in days because of all the times they locked themselves up in the studio. He takes a deep breath. This is it. This is what he needed: the sounds of the waves, the salt on his skin, the wind in his hair and the golden sand under his feet. It felt great to take a short break from all that torturous practice. 

Thankfully, the beach wasn't crowded, just a few families here and there with their kids running around.

"WAHH ITS THE BEACH" 

It seems like it isnt just kids that are running around. 

The rest of the group swarm around the water, pushing other in and diving in. Jeonghan makes a beeline towards Seungcheol, who's keeping an eye on the members just in case they get washed away with the waves or accidentally step on sharp seashells or sea urchins. Or even get hit by low-flying seagulls. Seungcheol looks rather amazing in his tanktop that showcased his slightly muscular arms in all their glory, proving the fact that he has been working out lately. Jeonghan can't help but stare in awe and a tad bit jealousy. It's not like that's its the first time he sees him exposing any skin; the members tend to shower together sometimes. But under the sun where it slightly glowed, it was something else. 

"Sunscreen?" Seungcheol offers as he spots Jeonghan "Can't have you getting sunburns" he chuckles. 

"Just a little bit" Jeonghan holds his hands out and Seungcheol squeezes a glob with Jeonghan muttering thanks. Seungcheol spreads out a towel and sits down "I was planning on staying here till late afternoon but the boys were so insistent on watching the sunset and showing Minghao around some more" he gestures for Jeonghan to sit down next to him "So it'll be a miracle if we don't end up with a sunburn"

Jeonghan plops down and continues rubbing sunscreen all over his arms as he watches the members gang up on Jihoon and submerge him "Sunsets are worth it, i guess." They're desperately wading away from an enraged Jihoon, who is now chasing after them. The temperature was just right despite it being in the middle of summer - when its usually the hottest and Jeonghan can't go on without showering atleast once a day. 

"Aren't you going in the water?" Seungcheol asks. Jeonghan shakes his head. While he was excited to go to the beach he had no intentions of getting wet. 

Suddenly, there were arms wrapped around him and were pulling him towards the water "Come on hyung! You're no fun" Jeonghan recognizes Seokmin's voice.

"He-hey i just put sunscree- yah! YA- ASGJCJN" Jeonghan tries to protest but before he can even escape his grasp; he's already underwater, the sounds of wild laughter fading as he sinks in. He pops up after few seconds, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes.

"Lee Seokmin!" Jeonghan's voice cracks when the cold waves glide against his back, resulting into even more laughter.

He later joins Jihoon into shoving sand down Seokmin's swimming trunks.

  


  


"I can't believe you didnt get me ice cream!" Seungkwan whines when Wonwoo and Mingyu approach them with ice cream in hand later that day "I'm not your slave" Mingyu licks the ice cream drips on his wrist "We were going back to bring napkins anyway. Coming with us, Seungcheol hyung?" He asks.

Seungcheol shakes his head, "I'm good" watching after the members drained all the energy out of him. "We'll go ask them just incase" Wonwoo says, pointing to the rest of the members who were walking on the other side of the beach. And so, they were left alone.

Seungcheol watches as the sun reaches the horizon, there were a few clouds that decorated the pinkish sky. 

Beach sunsets were breath-takingly beautiful, that's for sure. 

But the rush of calm he imagined from being here doesnt come. Instead, its replaced with his heartbeat beating hard against his chest. Because Jeonghan was right next to him, eyes closed, hands interwined and his head on his shoulder. He listened to his rhythmic breathing as he was slowly drifting to sleep. He can't quite put his finger on what he was feeling towards him - was it just a friendly affection or something more than that? He thinks of all the possibilities that would happen if he were to ever confess his feelings. 

"Hey" Seungcheol nudges Jeonghan's arm "The sun's setting now" 

Jeonghan sleepily rubs his eyes, Seungcheol thinks its cute "Already?" Seungcheol nods, wincing a bit when he no longer feels the warmth radiating from Jeonghan's body as he sits a little bit further to watch the sunset properly. 

There's a moment of silence as both of them admire the sunset that was slowly disappearing.

"Ever had your first kiss?" Seungcheol asks.

There's a long pause before backtracks on what he said and realization crept upon him. 

"Sorry i didnt--" 

"I did"

"Wait what?" 

Jeonghan turns to face him "With uhm..." He shifts shyly with gentle smile tugging on his lips "Minhee, i dont know if you remember her" he lets out a small chuckle.

Seungcheol's world falls apart. _Seo Minhee???_ He inwardly screeches. Now he's seriously starting to doubt Jeonghan's taste. 

"What about you?" Jeonghan's question brings him back to earth. 

"Oh, uhm yeah, the typical stuff. Yknow, something like kissing in cinemas" Seungcheol scratches the back of his head. 

Jeonghan's eyebrows raise "Ah, is that so?" There's amusement in his tone.

Seungcheol turns and watches him intently. He chews the inside of cheek and takes a step forward and suddenly, every rational voice in his head disappears as he presses their lips together. Seungcheol's kissing him, he's kissing Yoon Jeonghan; someone who happens to be his bestfriend. 

He could feel him tense up but then a second later, he relaxes into his touch. It was soft and much too quick when he pulls away.

"Tell Minhee that i kiss way better than she ever will."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I barely managed to finish this as i was in a serious writer's block ;_; I'm sorry if you guys think this is a bit fast-paced but that's actually cause i don't want to drag this on and make it long. Also, it's pretty funny how i'm posting this on my bday haha. i guess you can consider this is a gift from me to you guys? (idk this doesn't even make sense and it's a crappy present at that,sorry)


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